5 Crucial Facts You Need to Know about the Typhoon Chaba

Typhoon Chaba slammed the coast of South Korea on Wednesday morning with powerful winds and very heavy rain causing multiple fatalities and massive flooding.

Known as Typhoon Chaba, the storm hit the island of Jeju overnight causing widespread power outages and damage to homes and other buildings.

Here are five important facts that you need to know about Typhoon Chaba and the South Korean city of Busan.

1. Chabe reached super-typhoon status strengthening to the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane as of Monday afternoon. It has since weakened, though it packed a horrifying and deadly punch as it hit the southern part of the Korean peninsula at the port city of Busan.

2. Film footage showed heavy flooding, with cars and buildings partially submerged and the storm surge hitting apartment blocks near the coast.

3. More than 80 flights have been canceled at the Gimhae Airport which serves Busan. The KTX bullet train service to the south of the country has also been suspended. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued warning to residents. “Citizens are advised to protect their crops and personal property. Vessels must leave the area to avoid high waves that may splash over seawalls and possibly erode roads,” the weather agency said.

4. As Chaba ripped through Jeju, it left one person missing. Five people have been confirmed dead in Busan and Ulsan according to media reports. However, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security put the death toll at three with three people still missing.

5. Busan is situated on the southernmost tip of the Korean peninsula. It is the second largest city in South Korea. It is the biggest port city in the country and the main port for passenger ferries to and from Jetu Island and Japan. Due largely to the length of its beaches — which are the longest in the entire Korean peninsula — it is considered South Korea’s summer capital, visited by millions of tourists annually.

5 Crucial Facts You Need to Know about the Typhoon Chaba was last modified: by Breanna Khorrami